Right, I have decided that for my 21st I am going to get some Technics MK2s and have them modified by Turntable Pimp UK. Let’s for arguments sake say that money is no object. I have never owned a pair of MK2s before, so I don’t really know what the best upgrades would be. I want these to last for ever.
They offer:
Led conversion (strobe/quartz/33/45/pop up)
Under platter lighting
Unter platter and under pitch lighting
Under platter/pitch lighting with 18 colours controlled with a remote
Gold plated upgrade RCAs with HQ Grounds
Gold plated Upgrade Snake Skin RCAs with HQ Grounds
External Female RCA plate for removing leads and putting on when needed.
Full Service
New Upgrade MK5 Clickless Pitch sliders with quartz removed
New 1210 mk2 Tone Arms
Which modifications would you have done?
I am currently thinking:
LED conversion.
RCA Snake skin RCAs and HG grounds. Internally grounded or not?
MK5 pitch sliders.
I am undeceive about female RCA and internal grounding.
Would you go for the MK5 clickless pitch?
Just interested in what other people would get if they were in my position?
Bare metal re-spray (professional paint shop)
All LED’s have been upgraded to super bright Blue LED’s (except for the strobe LED’s. I’m old school and I think strobes should ALWAYS be RED!!! )
BRAND NEW Tonearms on all decks. (New Tonearms, Tonearm base, tone arm height adjustment).
Upgraded (Gold) RCA’s and White RCA Cables (Van Damme High Quality Instrument Cable) Snake skin.
Gold Technics Graphics
Upgraded (white) power cables.
Pitch Zero Calibrated
Pitch Range Calibrated.
Brand New (Black) Pitch Trim
Brand New Pitch cloth
All decks with original 45rpm adaptors
Large Technics decal (gold) on the front
Upgraded Ground cable and ground cable connector.
Decks come with Slipmats, headshells and cartridges
You can see what I got - I like clickless pitch, internal grounding, stronger LEDs in colours that I can see, and pitch reset. I got most of those things in my own decks. I would skip the under platter lighting every time.
Thanks, yo. I don’t own any headshells at all - I was admiring some the other day, but those in particular were received by the DJ for judging the DMC.
I really like the white chroma caps on my Kontrol F1 controllers. It makes them significantly easier to see and to use. I’ve backed off on using them on crossfaders, though.
If you can, get them internally grounded. That’s the one bugger I always hate about setting up with tables. It’s simple, but I’ve dealt with so many tables with busted ground wires (and it’s easy to do over time).
Honestly I have come to prefer the MK2 pitch slider… but it’s also something I’ve just become accustomed to. I like being able to feel the zero point without having to look. But it really depends on how you mix.
I feel your pain with the ground wire setup, I’m using a 909 and its a bitch.
But my only issue with internally grounding is if something went wrong, like for some reason during transport the solder broke or the ground was broken. So now you’re at your gig and up poop creek trying to mcgyver your turntable to work. Probably the worst feeling ever to setup your gear and find out you’re getting a no signal or a crappy signal. I rented tables once and one of the RCAs jacket came apart from the wire and the RCAs were Monster…lol.
But if I could mod my 12s I’d probably just replace the RCAs and keep the ground wire, but I do like the idea of a female RCA plate. Maybe get them painted but nothing flashy, just stock colours, maybe piano black like the MK5s. Zero click is meh… I have an M3D and don’t even notice the difference from my MK2.
I’m about to do both my pairs of 1210’s. Here is what I have decided to do…
One set Piano Black
One set White (any recommendations on shade of white? I’m thinking Alpine White)
Platters untouched (possibly paint the faces, but leaving the sides).
Upgraded RCA’s. (this is a bit of snake oil though, so won’t be going too far with the upgrade, just look nicer)
Internal Ground
mk5 pitch sliders
LED lights (blue probably)
I think the contrast between one white set, and one piano black set will look nice. But then I do plan on selling one set too once they are all done. I just have to decide which set I prefer once they are finished, lol.
Decided to go for clickless pitch, upgraded RCAs and all black with some white for colour. So excited to get these. Just need to decide on a mixer now. The Z2 is tempting me massively.
It’s totally flash but I love my underplatter LEDs. I got multi colored with a remote, they can fade through all colors, and have a mode that’ll make them flash to the beat. They’re nice in the dark environment of a bar or club, and get a great response from the crowd, especially other DJ’s.
